Super Handyman: Fall leaves are beautiful, and with these tips are less of a hassle too

This time of year can be a beautiful sight — the changing leaves of gold, red and orange. But all those leaves can be a hassle to deal with.

Let’s talk about some of our favorite ways to deal with this mess.

Install some type of cover or guard over your gutters to keep the leaves from clogging up the downspouts. Check your hardware store or an online store for lots of different options. This will keep you from having to climb a ladder and clean out this mess yourself.

Once they are on the ground, you can use a lawn mower with a mulching blade to shred them into smaller pieces. This can add a layer of protection, like a blanket, in the winter. Eventually they will break down and turn into nutrients for your soil.

You can use a leaf blower to blow them into the street or into a neat pile for the kids to play in. This is a temporary solution, obviously!

You even can vacuum your yard. They make a vacuum for landscapes, and it actually works pretty well. Some even will shred the leaves they vacuum up so they are easier to dispose of when you have finished.

Start a compost pile. Leaves are a wonderful addition to any compost pile, and can be added shredded or just “as is.”

If you want some cardio exercise, get busy hand-raking them. You can use an old-fashioned rake or one of the really innovative rakes, like the Leaf Claws. If you rake the leaves onto a plastic tarp, you easily can bundle them up for transfer or disposal.

Hot iron holderThe art of stained glass takes time to learn and perfect. It#146;s also a lot of fun, and you should try it when you get a chance. The tools required are simple, one of which is a soldering iron. The tip of the iron heats up and actually melts the solder to hold the pieces all together. Some will come with a stand that holds them at the ready, but if you don#146;t have one, you can create one from an empty tin can, filled with sand. Just set the hot end of the iron in the can until you are ready to use it again. It#146;s sturdier than some of the ones that come with the iron, and it#146;s free!Straighten up sagging pipesSagging pipes are not a good thing. In fact, sagging anything is not a good thing. But a sagging pipe is just going to get worse and eventually may start leaking. Sometimes pipe straps can be used to raise a low area. Another way to straighten out the situation is with a #147;splint#148; made of wood or metal, attached to the pipe, that extends out of either side of the sagging area. Let the splint both straighten and take the strain off the low spot. Super hintsŸ We always tell folks to put some ice and lemon peel into the food disposer and turn it on to clean it once a month. But a plumber friend of ours said to follow this with a little oil to lubricate those clean blades and the motor.Ÿ I used to change the oil in my car myself. I actually enjoyed it. One problem that I had quite often was getting the old oil filter off the engine. When it was put on too tightly, it was difficult to remove, even with a good filter wrench. Dad taught me to stab the filter with a screwdriver and use the screwdriver to grab the filter and force it to turn off. This is a little messy, but it does work, and I had to do it a couple of times throughout the years. Ÿ A squeaky floor with a carpet covering can be fixed, even through the carpeting. Just install a finish nail or two in the wood floor, right through the carpet, and then countersink it with a nail set. Nobody will know it#146;s there, and they won#146;t hear you coming, either!Q. I have to cut through a sheet of plywood, and my drill has given up. I have a circular saw, but I#146;ve never done a drop-cut or whatever you call it. Can you give me some advice?A. You probably are talking about a plunge-cut, and this is done by setting the saw on the lumber, with the blade guard pulled back, and slowly lowering it onto the cutting line as the blade is turning. The blade will cut down through the cutting line, and then you can use the circular saw in the standard way. It takes a little practice, but you can do it.Q. The clean-out plug for our drain system is in the basement and probably has never been used. Our drains are a little sluggish, and I want to run a plumber#146;s auger down the line, but the metal plug on the clean-out won#146;t budge. What do you suggest?A. First, try penetrating oil. If that doesn#146;t work, apply heat from a torch or heat gun accompanied by taps from a hammer. This sometimes breaks the hold. Next, file a notch on the square protrusion on the plug so you can have a place for a cold chisel to fit. Then a hammer and the chisel should do the job. Remember that the plug turns counterclockwise to remove. As a last resort, drill a series of holes across the plug and use a hammer and chisel to break it. Q. My kitchen grout needs to be bleached or replaced, or somehow made to look good again. What#146;s the best approach to this problem?A. Have you tried laundry bleach on the grout? If that doesn#146;t work, you can use a special paint made just for grout to brighten it up. This also will seal it. If the bleach works for you, apply a sealer to prevent future stains.Q. My front porch has wooden columns to support it, and I would like to switch to some decorative iron columns. The new columns mount directly on the concrete, so I would need to drill into the concrete porch. What do I use to do this?A. You#146;ll need a masonry bit, and a hammer drill will work best for this. Make sure you install temporary supports to your overhang when you remove the wooden columns. Use galvanized bolts and anchoring cement or epoxy. Make sure you use a metal primer and rust-inhibiting paint for the metal work when you are finished. It sounds like a neat idea, and we#146;d love to see some photos when you are finished.Reader tipsŸ We used to have track lights in our den. I finally replaced them but never could sell them in a garage sale, so I put them up in the garage and started using them. They are great out there. I have one spot on my workbench, another on the closet door, and the other one points to the house door so you can see the door opener when you first go in there. They work great.Ÿ I took out the old closet shelf and rod holders to install a new closet #147;system.#148; My wife loves it. I took the old shelf brackets out to the shop and installed them on my wall. I can store long materials like pipe and molding on these supports and keep them off the damp ground. It also gives me a lot more storage space, and I can more easily see what I have to work with.Ÿ As I age, I#146;ve noticed that the longer I spend standing at my workbench, the more my back hurts. I bought an anti-fatigue floor mat to stand on while at the workbench. It really does seem to help. I plan to buy a couple more. My wife wants one or two for her kitchen to relieve some of the stress on her back as well. Sheer genius! You should try one for yourself.Ÿ I bought a hot glue gun primarily to use on a craft project I was working on. I was reading through the instructions and found out I could buy #147;glue sticks#148; that could be used for sealing, caulking and other projects around the house. I thought the gun was just for glue, but the gun I bought can use seven different kinds of sticks, for everything from wood to glass. I ordered the rest by mail and can#146;t wait to try them out. Great tool, low price and very useful.Ÿ I use the twinkle lights, normally used at Christmas, for decorating around my backyard. I have several trees that are wrapped with these. I had trouble finding some that would look good. You have a choice of bright-white or green cords. Neither looked good at all in the landscape, so I spray-painted the cords a light tan. This doesn#146;t show up so much in the landscape, and it blends in with the trunks a little better.ShoptalkŸ Hate dusting? Check out the Auto Duster by Hunter Fans. This compact air filter is designed to remove up to 80 percent of airborne dust before it lands on furniture. That will cut your dusting time in half! It also takes care of smoke, pollen and pet dander, and has enough power to clean the average 2,000-square-foot home 13 times a day! It has three speeds and a replaceable dust filter. Check it out at www.hunterfan.com.Ÿ After the mowing and string trimmers have done their work, it#146;s time for some fine-tuning with grass shears. There are some standard models to choose from, but one caught our eye because of its unique design. After trying it, we think it#146;s the way to go. The Rear Pivot Grass Shear is easier to operate and gives you a lot more control and precision for fine trimming around the yard. The Softgrip handles are both comfortable and safer to use. You can work a lot longer with less stress on your hands while doing it, and the blade stays sharp longer and resists rust better than most. They even come with a lifetime warranty. Check them out at your garden center or online at www.fiskars.com.Ÿ Write to Al and Kelly Carrell in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or visit the Carrells#146; website at thesuperhandyman.com.$PHOTOCREDIT_ON$© 2011, Cowles Syndicate Inc.$PHOTOCREDIT_OFF$